Suds diversion and return system



1955 w. H. GRAHAM ETAL 2,

SUDS DIVERSION AND RETURN SYSTEM Filed Aug. 27, 1953 INVENTORS.

2,101,532 suns .DIVERSION AND RETURN srsrnm Walter H. Graham, Chicago,111., and RobertILBaker,

Hammond, Ind.

Application August '27, 1953, Serial No. 376,831

3 Claims. {01. 137-666) This invention relates to a suds diversion andreturn system and, more particularly, to asuds diversion and returnsystem having a suds return pump which is primed by the fluid exhaustedfrom a washing machine.

An-object of this invention is to provide a suds diversion and returnsystem which is of a simple construction, economical to manufacture andeasily .mstalled for use with a washing machine wherein the storage ofsuds water is necessary or desirable.

,Another object of this invention is to provide a suds return systemhaving a suds return pump for return- United States Patent ing the sudswater from a storage receptacle to the washing machine which is primedby the suds or rinse waters discharged from the washing machine.

Another object of the invention isto provideja suds diversion and returnsystem'having a discharge conduit extending from the washing machine toa diverter mechanism for controlling the passage of suds water into astorage receptacle, a return conduit extending between the storagereceptacle and the washing machine, a suds return pump disposed in thereturn conduit for pumping the suds water from the storage receptacle tothe washing machine and a pump prlmmg conduit operatively connectedbetween the exhaust conduit and the outlet side of the suds return pumpfor priming the suds return pump.

The objects of the invention generally set forth, together with otherancillary advantages, are attained by the construction and arrangementshown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the suds dlverslon and return systemconnected to a washing machine and a pair of conventional laundry tubs,and;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the suds d1vers1on and return systemwith the washing machine and laundry tubs in section.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many difierentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail an illustrat ve embodiment of the invention with theunderstanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as anexemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intendedto limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of theinvention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The suds diversion and return system, indicated generally at A isadapted for use with any washing machine having wash and rinseoperations which render it desirable that means be provided to save thesuds water which must be discharged from the machine while the rinseoperations are in progress. In illustrating the invention a washingmachine, indicated generally at B, and a pair of laundry tubs, indicatedgenerally at C, are shown. One of these tubs may be used as a storagereceptacle for receiving the suds water from the washing machine.

The washing machine B may be of any commercially available type and, asgenerally shown in Figs. 1 and 2, has a housing 1 which is provided witha cover 2 providing access to the inside of the machine and a basket 3in which the clothes are placed for the washing and rinse operations. Adischarge outlet 4 is provided for discharge of fluid from the washingmachine. A discharge conduit 5 is connected to the outlet 4. An exhaustpump 6 driven by a motor 7 by means of a belt and pulley arrangement,indicated generally at 8 is connected in the discharge conduit 5.

p the washing machine.

"Patented Feb. 8, 1955 v The laundry tub unit 0 may be the conventionaltype found in a home laundry and has individual tubs 1.0 and 11. .Asstated previously, the tub 10 may be used as a storage receptacle, andthe tube 11 may be used to receive water which is to .be dischargeddirectly through a drain 12. The function of these tubs will be morefully set forth in .the following description of the suds diversion andreturn system.

The suds diversion and return system has two functions. 'The first .is:to direct the suds water exhausted from the washing machine to thestorage receptacle and the second to return the suds water from thestorage receptacle .to The first of these functions is performed .by .adiverter mechanism 14 secured to the vertical dividing wall 14a betweenthe tubs 10 and 11 and which is connected to the discharge conduit 5.This diverter mechanism has a diverter valve member therein having twopositions, one of which causes the suds water to ,pass into the storagetub or receptacle 10 and the other causes the subsequent fluid to passinto the receptacle or tub .11 and on out the drain 12. The divertervalve member is originally set to cause the suds water to how into thetub 10 and when the desired amount of suds water has passed into thistub, a float 15 rises to permit the diverter valve member to shift andcause subsequent fluid to pass into tub 11. The operation of thisdiverter mechanism is fully set forth in our .copending applicationfiled August .27., 1953, Serial No. 376,932, .and reference may be hadthereto :for a detailed description of the diverter mechanism 14.

The return conduit for returning suds water from the storage receptacle10 to the washing machine B comprises a hose 16 and a hose 17. The hose16 has one end 16a disposed within the storage receptacle 10 adjacentthe bottom thereof and has its other end connected to the suction sideof pump 18 which may be of the rotary impeller type. This pump is drivenby a motor 19 having a motor cord 20. One end of hose 17 is connected tothe outlet side of the pump 18 and is of a length sufficient to enableits other end 17a to be positioned over the top of the washing machineB. This enables the return of the suds water to the wash basket 3 whichmay be imperforate and therefore requires filling from its open top.During the operation of the machine, the end 17a of the hose 17 may bemoved away from the machine.

In order to have a suds diversion and return system which is not undulyexpensive, it is desirable to use a suds return pump which is relativelyinexpensive. To satisfy this requirement, it is preferable to use a pumpfor return of the suds water which does not have the property ofpositive fluid displacement. One example of such a pump is a rotaryimpeller pump. With such a pump, it is necessary to provide means forpriming the pump.

We have devised means for priming such a pump by the exhaust fluid whichis discharged from the washing machine. This may be either the sudswater or subsequent rinse water. A pump priming hose or conduit 21 isconnected at 22 to the discharge conduit 5 and at 23 to the hose 17forming a part of the return conduit. The pump priming conduit 21 is ofa cross-sectional area substantially less than that of the dischargeconduit 5 as only a relatively small amount of the fluid passing throughthe discharge conduit 5 is needed for priming the pump 18. The fluidwhich passes through the pump priming conduit 21 passes into the pump 18at the outlet side thereof and on through the pump and out the suctionside thereof into the hose 16.

It is therefore obvious that after the suds water has been dischargedinto the storage tub 10, an adequate amount of the suds Water will havepassed through the pump priming conduit 21, the pump 18, and into thehose 16 up to a level the same as that of the connection 23 between thepump priming conduit 21 and the hose 17. Also, of course, the suds waterhas risen in the end 16a. of the hose 16 to the same level as that ofthe suds water in the tub 10.

When it is desired to return the suds water to the washing machine fromthe storage receptacle 10, the motor 19 is started to drive the sudsreturn pump 18 which, because of its having been previously primed,pumps the fluid out of hose 16 and, as a result thereof, draws the sudswater out of the receptacle 10.

We claim:

1. A suds diversion and return system for use with a washing machinehaving wash and rinse operations and a storage receptacle comprising, asuds diversion mechanism secured to the storage receptacle for passingsuds water into the storage receptacle and subsequent rinse water todrain, a discharge conduit extending between the outlet of the washingmachine and said suds diversion mechanism for conducting fluid exhaustedfrom the washing machine to the diversion mechanism, a return conduithaving one end disposed adjacent the bottom of the storage receptacleand the other end in communication with said washing machine forconducting fluid from the storage receptacle back to the washingmachine, a suds return pump disposed in said return conduit for pumpingthe suds water in said storage receptacle back to the washing machine,the return conduit having vertically extending portions on both sides ofsaid pump extending to a level above the pump, a priming conduit of across-sectional area substantially less than the area of said dischargeconduit extending between the discharge conduit and the verticallyextending portion of the return conduit connected to the outlet side ofthe pump for priming the pump from the exhaust fluid, the level of fluidin the vertically extending portions of the return conduit beingsubstantially the same.

2. A suds diversion and return system for use with a storage receptacleand a washing machine having wash and rinse operations comprising,diverter means secured to the storage receptacle for passing suds waterinto the storage receptacle and subsequent rinse water to drain, adischarge conduit extending between the outlet of the washing machineand said diverter means, means defining a return conduit extendingbetween the storage receptacle and the washing machine and having oneend thereof disposed adjacent the bottom of the storage receptacle, asuds return pump disposed in said return conduit, the return conduithaving vertically extending portions on both sides of said pumpextending to a level above the pump, a priming conduit extending betweenthe discharge conduit and the vertically extending portion of the returnconduit connected to the outlet side of the pump for priming the pump bythe fluid exhausted from the washing machine.

3. A suds return system for use with a storage receptacle and a washingmachine having wash and rinse operations comprising, a discharge conduitextending between the outlet of the washing machine and the storagereceptacle for passing the fluid exhausted from the washing machine tosaid storage receptacle, a return conduit between the storage receptacleand the washing machine and having one end disposed adjacent the bottomof the storage receptacle, a suds return pump connected in said returnconduit, a priming conduit of a cross sectional area substantially lessthan the area of said dis-, charge conduit operatively connected betweenthe discharge conduit and the outlet side of said suds return pump forpriming the pump by the fluid exhausted from the washing machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,391,561 Geldhof Dec. 25, 1945 2,562,610 Geldhof July 31, 1951

